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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/28602897">Tear it Off</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Flufferdoodle/pseuds/Flufferdoodle'>Flufferdoodle</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>perceptions [1]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Persona 5</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>yes it's been done a million times before i don't care i'm new here</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2021-01-07</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-01-07</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-13 08:01:30</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>814</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/28602897</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Flufferdoodle/pseuds/Flufferdoodle</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>It burns, watching all of them turn to Kurusu. The constant bickering, the fondness, the heated arguments and passionate agreements. The warmth of the space heater, pushing out hot, dusty air into the chilly attic mingled with the oppressive flow of affection and trust, and Akechi wanted nothing more than to open the window and let in the cold wind. Let the frigidness of the real world fill the room with silence, suck out any of the familiarity this group was so intent on sharing.</p><p>Spoilers up through November</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>perceptions [1]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/2095905</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>6</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>36</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Tear it Off</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>It burns, watching all of them turn to Kurusu. The constant bickering, the fondness, the heated arguments and passionate agreements. The warmth of the space heater, pushing out hot, dusty air into the chilly attic mingled with the oppressive flow of affection and trust, and Akechi wanted nothing more than to open the window and let in the cold wind. Let the frigidness of the real world fill the room with silence, suck out any of the familiarity this group was so intent on sharing.</p><p>Envy burns, and Akechi wants to snuff it.</p><p>The worst part – well, one of the many worst parts, because Akechi hated all of this so abysmally much that he couldn’t reasonably find a way to measure and determine which truly wrenched his guts the most – was how quiet Kurusu remained.</p><p>How much did any of the Phantom Thieves know of their true leader? He sure never seemed to share much, and Akechi had a hunch that was the case even before he “joined” the team.</p><p>He’d followed Kurusu before. The guy was absolutely everywhere all the time. It was almost hard <em>not</em> to see him each week. Oh, sure, Akechi started stopping by the Leblanc for more reliable interactions and intel, but he’d seen him with Nijima in Shinjuku and with Sakura in Akihabara. He’d snooped, because that’s his job, and watched.</p><p>Just a handful of words, well-timed, charming, dauntless, expertly placed throughout the conversation. Endless patience, as Okumura sat across from him at that café, dancing around her thoughts on love and business. Watchful eyes as Kitigawa hummed and sketched passerby, the occasional comments on art and emotion wafting around Kurusu’s head. It wouldn’t matter if he processed it all or not, the endless tirade of memories and confessions the Phantom Thieves dumped on him, because he seemed to understand them all anyways.</p><p>Sometimes, when Akechi finally caught his attention, got him to <em>look</em> at him, he felt that Kurusu understood him, too.</p><p>Not with wonder, not with curiosity. Just simple understanding, like he’d solved a puzzle Akechi was still finding the pieces for.</p><p>It made Akechi’s blood boil.</p><p>He wanted so badly to rip off Kurusu’s mask. Tear it off, and show the Phantom Thieves what was underneath. Crush it under the heel of his boot, and see what Kurusu had to say for himself then. Dig out the root of his so-called justice. Where did it come from? What betrayal sparked this journey?</p><p>Akechi read his criminal record. Akechi read about his hometown, his family, his former school. He knew about the Sakuras and Leblanc, knew about the incident with Kamoshida at Shujin, knew everything an outsider could possibly <em>know</em> about Kurusu.</p><p>He knew <em>nothing.</em></p><p>Akechi had been, admittedly, a tad bit on the desperate side to see Kurusu’s persona. Some hint to the soul inside.</p><p>But that’s not what happened, either.</p><p>He saw a silhouette that looked a bit too much like Leanan Sidhe at first, and became confused at how <em>small</em> the persona was. And then there was a little cat dressed like a shogun, and a Decarabia and Unicorn and so many things that Akechi knew nothing about, and he felt as if someone had ripped out his stomach and replaced it with a writhing flame.</p><p>And then he watched Joker hold a gun to a Rangda’s head and demand its power. It refused, and he fired a warning shot, mouth curling into a smirk. Not necessarily cruel, just demanding. Knowing. The Rangda mumbled something, and Joker lowered the gun to mumble something back, and suddenly everything froze.</p><p>“I am Thou, Thou art I,” Rangda declared. It joined his mask.</p><p>“Your power’s incredible, Joker!” Morgana cheered.</p><p>Akechi had blinked and shoved his gun, hand twitching, back into its holster.</p><p>That was the other thing.</p><p>The cat.</p><p>Morgana.</p><p>Akechi didn’t understand why or how a talking Metaverse cat existed, or why it ended up with Kurusu, of all people.</p><p>Something to do with Kurusu’s unrelenting specialness, no doubt.</p><p>Akechi wondered if Morgana knew anything about Kurusu. Probably more than any of them, seeing as he lived with the infamous leader, which wasn’t saying much.</p><p>Akechi wanted answers.</p><p>Akechi would <em>kill</em> for answers. Akechi would hold a gun to Kurusu’s head and pull the trigger for answers.</p><p>But it wasn’t about what Akechi wanted, here. It was about what he needed. And he did need to shoot Kurusu, right between his pretty gray eyes, but not for information.</p><p>And then it wouldn’t matter, because Kurusu would be gone, and Akechi could move on.</p><p>The space heater coughs, and Kurusu calmly rises to unplug it before it overheats too much. He picks the blanket off his bed and tosses it to Sakura before sitting back down, and she looks at him gratefully. He pats her on the head and doesn’t say a word.</p><p>Akechi hates him.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>yeah ngl i absolutely hated akechi while playing persona 5. like. he's just a snob. and then a hypocrite. and then he shoots you. like. fuck him? like all of his interactions with you are him being like "wow! you sure as pleasant to talk to!" even though you say two words and he's just a fake ass bitch.</p><p>and i CAUGHT the first thing with morgana and the pancakes in the TV station and was SO CONFUSED when they never addressed or realized it later and then i was like OH I WASN'T IMAGINING THINGS. and i was SO MAD when he showed up in the metaverse for the "first time" and understood everything quickly like shut up dude you're not that smart.</p><p>and then, you know, it was explained why he understood everything. and then he died, and i was like, yeah, honestly, idk how the fuck you would throw a redemption arc on that motherfucker</p><p>but i am always a slut for fated rivals<br/>so<br/>uh<br/>:)<br/>here we are</p><p>someone buy me persona 5 royal</p></blockquote></div></div>
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